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Friday, January 12, 2018

How to Hack Your Day for a More Productive Year!

We are well within the New Year. The fireworks have faded; it is time to get
down to business. This is an opportunity to assess and fine-tune your work day for a more productive year. Start by evaluating your annual goals and desired accomplishments and then look ahead to explore
how you can plan to achieve benchmarks, objectives, and aspirations. Sometimes the daily grind can get you off your game. There are distractions, delays, and procrastination that can derail your productive efforts for a winning year.

An organized, strategic approach with small adjustments in your day can be the answer to
accomplishing your New Year’s career successes. Here are four tips to help you hack your daily routines and meet your career goals for the year:

Build Your Day Around Your Toughest Tasks -Start your day by
identifying your top one or two most pressing tasks. Tackling these earlier in
the day can both free up time and ease stress. Some days may have more than two
“priority tasks” to attack. When you have competing priorities, use the Eisenhower
Matrix to help choose which task to focus on. The Eisenhower Matrix was
developed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower while he served as the Allied
Forces Supreme Commander during World War II. This principal was developed for
him to make tough decisions on a daily basis. Today, this principal can help
you prioritize projects by urgency and importance.

Schedule Appointments with Yourself -You schedule specific
time for meetings, projects, and assignments but what about scheduling “me
time”? Blocking off time on your calendar to focus on work that calls for
concentration can result in a more efficient use of your day. Some people will
block off the last hour or two of the day so that they can have
distraction-free time to answer those emails that pile up in the in-box or to
do mundane admin work that keeps getting pushed to the back burner. Scheduling
“deep work” at the end of the day can also de-clutter your morning, the next
day, making it a more pleasurable return to the office.

Take a Break -Throughout the day, tasks, meetings, and just
hard work can weigh on your mind zapping your brain-power causing general
malaise. When your brain needs a break, take one. If you are feeling tired,
stuck or even irritable, listen to your body and your mind. You are being sent
a message: chill out! If it is possible, take a walk outside, take a pause by
going to your break room for some coffee or tea, or spend 5 minutes networking
with a colleague. You can build rapport, share ideas or just talk about weekend
plans (but only if they can also take a break). Whatever you choose, get out of
your office and enjoy a different scene. This kind of downtime can make you more productive and can give you some
perspective on problems and workday challenges. Creating a balance in your day
can also help time fly faster. Don’t worry, the work will still be there when
you return.

Follow the "Five Minute Rule" -If your day consists of small,
“micro-projects” that might take about 5 minutes or less to do, then just do it
now and get them out of the way. Answer a few emails, de-clutter your desk, or
take a few minutes to organize your paper piles. These smaller actions can help
free up time for larger projects throughout the day and week.

These few tips and hacks can result in small wins that can
help provide a sense of accomplishment and give you greater momentum toward
larger tasks that lay ahead.

Share with us in the comments below your tips for a more
productive day. In addition, do not hesitate to request an appointment with a WGU Career & Professional Development
Specialist for strategic guidance toward a more dynamic work life.